Rankman’s picks: Week 6

It may be time for counseling and\or rehab when your top moment on a college football Saturday is Massachusetts scoring a late touchdown to back-door cover Ohio in a 58-50 loss. Hey, it’s the little things in life, right? Anyway, that “save” salvaged a 3-3 weekend that kept me in alive in the mad-dash scramble back to .500 for the season. We’re not there yet, but someday we’ll look back at that UMass “comeback” as the game that turned everything around. We remain infatuated, as you can see, by the United States military service academy at West Point. Let’s just say cheering for Army against a point-spread is just about the most patriot thing a God-fearing American can do. Army fascinates me for one simple reason: its existential and complex relationship with the forward pass. The Cadets lost at Tulane because they foolishly completed two passes–both to the other team. Last week, at home against UTEP, our heroes from West Point got cocky with a come-from-no where “trick” touchdown pass. Allowing a touchdown pass to Army is like getting dunked on by Richard Simmons. It was so disturbing UTEP Coach Coach Sean Kugler resigned after the game. Army’s “miracle” pass, though, was was completely off-set in the end, by another foolish pass attempt that was returned for a Pick Six. Check out these five-game numbers: Army quarterbacks have completed 7 of 30 passes this year, with three interceptions and one touchdown. The Cadets are dead last nationally, averaging 23.2 passing yards per game. That’s absurdly wonderful given that Army is good team likely headed to another bowl game this year.

The Games

Army giving 11 1\2 at RICE

LSU getting 2 1\2 at FLORIDA

Oregon State getting 34 at USC

Over\Under

Texas Tech at KANSAS (80)

Washington State at OREGON (60 1\2)

Maryland at OHIO STATE (60 1\2) The rest of this article is available to subscribers only – to become a subscriber click here.

About The Author

Dufresne, spent 35 years at the Los Angeles Times covering numerous sports. Over the last two decades he emerged as their national college football and basketball columnist. He and his alter-ego Rankman have been putting college teams in their place ever since.